Specialist nursing service 'could save the NHS millions'

Health charity Asthma UK has called for further funding to back the Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) new campaign that aims to increase access for patients with long-term conditions to specialist nurses.

According to the RCN's latest appeal, the provision of expert guidance on the management of chronic illnesses, such as asthma, could save the NHS millions through fewer hospital admissions and reduced patient complications.

Experts suggest that the support of specialist nurses would help patients manage their symptoms by taking prescribed medications correctly and at the right time, for example.

Simon Selo, director of policy and services at Asthma UK, said: "Every seven minutes in the UK, a person is rushed to hospital fighting for breath as a result of their asthma.

"Yet we know that around 75 per cent of emergency admissions could be avoided if people with asthma had better day to day control of their condition."

National statistics show that 5.4 million people in the UK are currently living with asthma, 1.1 million of which are children.

The Department of Health has announced a new target to halve the number of smokers in the UK, from 21 to ten per cent of the population, over the next decade. According to the secretary of state for health...

Inconsistent mental health care provision is putting young Brits at a disadvantage, according to a new report from Ofsted. The study highlighted the importance of accessing proper treatment at the right time...

Public health minister Gillian Merron has announced details of a new initiative that will see corner shops across the UK working with the local NHS to promote positive eating habits. Following a successful...

Some 44 per cent of maternity units in the UK do not have local guidelines for the care and management of women with obesity, new findings reveal. The survey conducted by the Centre for Maternal and Child...

People in Scotland may be interested in taking out private medical cover as an alternative to NHS care following an inspection of the country's hospitals. According to the Healthcare Environment...